Deck chair convertible to a bed



Dec. 21, 1954 c. TRIPOD] EI'AL DECK CHAIR CONVERTIBLE TO A BED 3. Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 9. 1953 VENTOR; BY 21 Dec. 21, 1954 c. TRIPOD] ETAL 2,697,476

' DECK CHAIR CONVERTIBLE To A BED Filed April 9, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 dad 1 VENTORS,

5. BY WW7 Dec. 21, 1954 c, RlP D] A 2,697,476

DECK CHAIR CONVERTIBLE TO A BED Filed April 9. 1953 3 Sheets-Sheeti United States Patent DECK on CONVERTIBLE TO A BED Carlos Tripodi and Silvio Tripodi, Buenos Aires, Argentina Application April 9, 1953, Serial No. 347,676

Claims. (Cl. 155-56) This invention relates to improvements in convertible rocking chairs, and more particularly to a collapsible chair formed by a structure of linked members forming frames connected to each other by secondary members allowing the chair to assume different positions depending on the purpose it is intended to serve.

The chairs of the aforesaid type are made of lightweight materials so that they may be easily moved about. This has caused portable furniture to become very practical and in the specific case of convertible chairs the use thereof has rapidly become common.

As explained in copending application No. 759,532, now abandoned, the change of position offers no difficulties in the case of chairs of the linked type, excepting that caused by the lack of means for regulating the length of the canvas or the like constituting the chair seat back.

The aforesaid co-pending patent application solves the above difficulty in an advantageous manner by providing on one of the heads of one of the frames a winding device acting as a winch so as to take up the canvas band forming the seat and back, thereby allowing the adjustment of the length thereof according to the position taken by the different frames forming the chair.

The provision of an element which will allow the regulation of the tension of the canvas in accordance with the different position of parts of the chair, has resulted in providing a structure wherein the canvas can be held stretched horizontally so as to form a piece of furniture which may be used as a bed or as deck chair for sun bathing.

The main object of this invention is to provide, for a chair of the type disclosed in U. S. application No. 759,532, now abandoned, improvements whereby same will have the features outlined above.

A further object of the invention is to provide a chair wherein, when used as such, the back thereof will be capable of being inclined to different degrees independently of the chair seat and consequently of the remaining supporting structure.

A further object of the invention is to provide a chair capable of being folded into a small substantially fiat unit free of projecting members.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the course of the following description.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood and readily carried out, one of the preferred embodiments thereof has been illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a general perspective view of the improved chair when assembled as such, with the seat and back canvas partly broken away so as to show details of the chair structure.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the chair showing in dotted lines two of the possible positions of the structure thereof for use as a chair, deck chair or bed.

Fig. 3 is a front view of the chair when in folded position.

Fig. 4 is an end view of the chair when in folded position; and

Figs. 5 to 9 are fragmentary views of structural details of the different parts forming the chair of this invention.

The same reference characters are used to indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the drawings.

As shown schematically in the drawings, the chair of this invention comprises a larger frame a and a smaller frame b.

The larger frame a is formed by an upper portion 1 constituting the back structure and a lower portion 2 forming the front legs.

The smaller frame b is arranged within the frame a, located crosswise with respect to the latter but not connected directly thereto.

Said frame b forms the chair rear legs and from the end 3 thereof extends a canvas 4 forming the chair seat and back, said canvas 4 being secured to a roller 5 capable of being actuated by means of a crank 6 shown in Fig. 2.

As mentioned above, the connection between the frames a and b is indirect and is obtained through a pair of arm rests 7 and a pair of stretcher members 8.

By means of pins 9 one end of each said arm rests 7 is pivoted to one of the ends of the longitudinal members of frame b.

The opposite ends of said arm rests 7 are pivoted by means of pins 10 to the upper portion 1 of the larger frame a at the side members 11 and 12 and at points near the lower ends of the latter.

0n the other hand, the intermediary elements formed by the stretchers 8 are pivotally mounted at one end on the lower ends of the larger frame portion 2, whereas the opposite ends of the said stretchers 8 each carry a roller 13 housed in slots 14 formed along the major portion of the longitudinal members of smaller frame b.

Referring again to the larger frame a, the upper and lower portions 1 and 2 thereof are connected to each other by means of pivot pins 10 mounted on the free ends 15 of the side members of said lower portion 2. Said pivot pins 10 also serve for connecting the arm rests 7 to the frame a, as clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

Apart from said pivotal connections, the larger frame portions 1 and 2 are connected by means of intermediary members designed for fixing said portions in any one of a plurality of positions they are capable of assuming on being turned about the pivot pins 10.

Said intermediary members are formed by a pair of substantially elongated plates 16 (Fig. 2) each having a longitudinal slot 17, said plates 16 being pivotally connected to the ends 18 of the longitudinal members of the larger frame upper portion 1.

The pivotal connection of plates 16 with said longitudinal members is effected by means of pins 19, whereas the connection thereof with the longitudinal members of the lower portion 2 is obtained by means of bolts 20 (Figs. 2 and 7) slidably housed in holes made in the last-mentioned longitudinal members.

The heads 21 of said bolts 20 are substantially elongated and of a width slightly narrower than the width of the slots 17.

Thus, said heads 21 are capable of being passed through the slots 17, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 8, and after being turned through they will bridge said slots as shown in full lines in Fig. 8.

By tightening the wing nut 22, the head 21 arranged across the plate 16 will hold the latter against movement so as to fix the chair back in the desired position, as shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 shows a detail of a lock member provided on each of the smaller frame longitudinal members in a zone preferably located midway of the longitudinal slots 14 thereof.

Said lock member comprises a pin 23 axially slidable within a hole formed in the respective longitudinal member on which it is mounted.

Also, the head 24 of pin 23 is formed with a hole engaged by the end of a resilient rod 25 the opposite end of which is secured to said longitudinal member.

The resilient rod 25 will constantly tend to retain said plin within the hole therefor and arranged through the 5 0t.

The purpose of said pin 23 is to prevent the free sliding movement of the roller 13 throughout the length of the slot 14.

The roller 13 is formed, as shown in Fig.9, by a small cylindrical body bored axially so that it may be mounted on a spindle 24' secured to the stretcher member 8.

Assuming the chair assembled in the manner shown in Fig. 2, in order to fold same, the pins 23 are first removed as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6. This will release the rollers 13 which were up to then bearing against said pins, whereby said rollers will slide in slots 14 towards the lower ends thereof, causing a partial folding of the assembly.

The wing nut 22 is then loosened and the head 21 of screw 20 is withdrawn from the slot 17, whereby the plates 16 will be released and the back can be folded oveir4the rest of the ehair, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 an Returning to Fig. 2, when the chair is in position I it is serving as such.

In order to cause same to assume the position H, it will be sufficient to loosen the wing nut 22 and move the plate by means of the slot 17 With the aid of bolt 20, as the longitudinal members of both lower and upper portions become aligned. When this occurs, a lock 26 visible in Fig. 2 and shown in detail in Figs. and 8 is actuated.

Said lock 26 is formed by a small angle bar capable of rotating in a hole provided in the lower end of each longitudinal member of the larger frame upper portion 1. Said lock 26 is engaged by a stop 27 for the purpose of limiting the rotation thereof.

The lock 26 is shown in Fig 5 connecting both portions of the larger frame a when in the position II shown in Fig. 2f

Finally, in order to carry the chair to a bed position indicated at III, it will be necessary to change the positionof the plates 16 in the manner shown in Fig. 2, which can be easily done due to the special structure of the head of bolt 20.

Once the back has been moved to a substantially horizontal position, the wing nuts 22 are tightened and finally the canvas 4 is stretched by means of the roller 5 and the crank 6 thereof.

The back of the chair can be adjusted so that the chair can be used as a lounge chair, or else the back of the chair can be adjusted so that the device can be used as a bed.

The invention as described above is quite clear and requires no further explanation for those skilled in the art.

It is evident also that many changes and/or modifications will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as clearly set forth in the appended' claims.

We claim:

1. A convertible rocking chair comprising two frames of different dimensions arranged crosswise and connected indirectly to each other through pairs of members connected .at one end to a larger frame and at the opposite end to a smaller frame, the assembly having also a seat-back assembly formed by a flexible band extending from the head of the smaller frame to the head of the larger frame, one of saidheads carrying a roller for winding one end of said band, a crank on one end of said roller characterized in that each one of the longitudinal side members of said larger frame is formed by upper and lower portions pivoted to each other and connected by an intermediate member, lock means on said intermediate member for mutually fixing both portions in any one of a plurality of angular positions assumed thereby, each of said smaller frame longitudinal side members carrying also a longitudinal slot forming guides engaged slidably by respective rollers mounted at one end of each of the members forming one of the pairs indirectly connecting said frames.

2. The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein the pivotal connection between the upper and lower portions of the larger frame includes pins, there being holes in said side members for the projection therethrough of. said pins, and wherein the holes in said side members are located in a zone substantially near the ends adjacent said lower portion.

3. A convertible rocking chair as claimed in claim 1, further characterized in that said intermediate members comprise a pair of substantially elongated slotted plates pivoted to the free ends of said upper portion side members, and a clamping bolt extending through the slots in said plates.

4. A convertible rocking chair as claimed in claim 3, further characterized in that the ends of said upper portion side members adjacent said plates are each provided with a hand actuated rotary lock capable of connecting said upper and lower portions when same are aligned.

S. A convertible rocking chair as claimed in claim 1, further characterized in that the longitudinal members of said smaller frame each carries in a zone substantially midway of the longitudinal slot thereof an axially displaceable pin capable of forming stops for said rollers movable in said slot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 348,716 Boggs Sept. 7, 1886 1,373,959 Floreskul Apr. 5, 1921 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 292,530 Italy June 21, 1932 477,089 Great Britain Dec. 22, 1937 614,711 France Sept. 24, 1926 

